They have been billed as a new “superfood”, bursting with vitamins, with potential cancer-fighting properties, and a vital ingredient in detoxes. They even appear in wholesome jams made by Delia Smith.
But apricot kernels could be a hidden health hazard, Europe’s food safety watchdog said recently.
The kernels — which come from splitting the stone inside apricots, revealing the hard brown seed within — contain a compound known as amygdalin, which is converted to cyanide in the body, and at levels that could be harmful, scientists warned.
A single small kernel would be toxic to a toddler, the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) warned in a public statement. Just three small or one large apricot kernel in a single serving could put an adult over safe levels of the poisonous compound.
Cyanide can cause nausea, fever, headaches, insomnia, thirst, lethargy, nervousness, and joint and muscle pains, as well as falling blood pressure. In concentrated doses it is fatal, as fans of crime fiction are well aware.
But it is found in a variety of common foods, including not just apricot kernels but almonds and more exotic foods such as lima beans and cassava, both of which must be correctly prepared to avoid toxicity.
Normal consumption of apricot flesh, leaving out the kernel, carried no risk, the Efsa said.
Apricot kernels were thought to be safe in low doses, and are called for in many stone fruit jam recipes and biscuits as they add a hint of almond, giving a pleasantly marzipan-like flavour. They have also recently been hailed as a “superfood”, with claims made for their cancer-fighting properties and the large amounts of the vitamin B17 that they contain. This has given rise to a flourishing trade in raw apricot kernels on the internet.
Grinding, soaking and cooking can all reduce the amygdalin content of apricot kernels. The Efsa said too little data was available to assess ground or cooked apricot kernels separately.
However, its researchers found that even low doses can give unpleasant reactions, and as little as 0.5mg to 3.5mg per kg of body weight can be lethal. The organisation issued new advice recently that no more than 20mg per kg of body weight should be consumed at a sitting, which in practice for many people is likely to mean limiting consumption to no more than one raw kernel. For young children, half a kernel would be over the limit.
The Efsa’s scientists are now in discussions with the European commission on whether action needs to be taken, which could include removing the products from sale in the EU or providing health warnings on packaging.
